Red, White, and Belarus
by AgLingua42
Summary: America is curious, Belarus is annoyed, and all the while Russia is with his beloved Vodka. Read what comes next.


Hello and welcome, how are you this delightful day? To begin with, I must say that I am happy to finally be part of a web site that produces an incredibly interesting and vibrant array of personalities and talents. As with every fan turned writer I started out reading most of the time, thinking up plot lines and sketching them out a bit but never feeling like I had anything worth posting. However, I think I've finally got something in my newest fiction called, "Red, White, and Belarus." Also, being a newbie to the posting business I'd also like to say that it is a bit annoying to deal with the two day wait. With the ridiculous title for this fiction I set out to write an Alfred F. Jones / Natalia Arlovskaya fan fiction that would be believable but at the same time hold a bit of fantasy that I like to see in a story from this site. I realize that there are many errors, some out of character interactions, but all I can say is that I hope you enjoy this little romp.

_Sincerely,_

_AgLingua42_

Story notes:

Alfred F. Jones = America

Natalia Arlovskaya = Belarus

Time period: No set period

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Beginning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfred F. Jones was known for many things in the world. He was a self proclaimed hero, his azure eyes sparkling with mirth at the thought of being a great help to the world and people around him. He was insanely strong, carrying around Arthur's SUV for hours, searching for his former brother so he could ask to borrow it. He was tactless, his methods of solving problems being intrusive and to a point hindering to the solution of a problem. He loved junk food, not a day goes by without him shoving at least twenty hamburgers down his throat and fifteen sodas slipping past his lips. He loved the people all around him, every single one of them.

Natalia Arlovskaya was also known for quite a few things herself. She was deadly, her arsenal of knives and other bladed weaponry enough to cripple any country on the face of the earth. She was obsessed with her brother, the massive Ivan holding her focus despite his valiant attempts to escape her eyes. She was serious, her goal clear and concise while her methods were swift and economical. She was frightening; she could terrify anyone and anything with a single glance. She was to be left alone; everyone on the face of the planet knew and respected that single ultimate fact.

It was another day at the world conference room, all of the countries from around the globe gathered in a single location to discuss the events of the day and debate the structure of their self created system. Unfortunately, the meeting of the world communities had long ago ended and only two were left. Once again Alfred was asleep, his head lulled back while he unabashedly snored in his unconsciousness. His boots were kicked up on the table while his seat mysteriously continued a remarkable balancing act on only two legs. Far from the snoozing America was Natalia, the Belarus beauty sitting quietly with her hands held together in passive contemplation. Every so often she would peer over her shoulder, glancing at the door to the large auditorium before returning her focus directly ahead.

Belarus thought to herself, how long had she been sitting here? The meeting had ended hours ago so what was her purpose for remaining in her seat? Ivan. Only one word came to her thoughts, Ivan. Her beloved brother Russia, a monster of a country whose mere presence frightened a great number of the world's countries. How she loved her brother, her loyalty extending to a level which she knew bordered on obsession. She didn't care, once Russia told her to stay seated while he went out for an errand she complied. Hours later and she had yet to change her decision, waiting patiently for her brother to come back. Hopefully she could convince him to marry her, to prove her loyalty and dedication to her darling brother. She didn't think about his fearful face, his pained expression as he talked to her. She only saw Russia, the object of her affections and the target for her heart. Her whole body and soul dedicated to him and only to him.

Suddenly the doors of the auditorium flew open in a flourish, a massive crash echoing throughout the room. Belarus turned on a dime, her eyes shooting to the entrance and finding Russia, his massive form walking into the room with a tottering and uneven gait. In one hand he clutched his trusty faucet pipe; the glaring metal still stained deep rust red from inflicting so many wounds in the past. In his other was a large bottle of Ivan's favorite drink, the fire water of vodka clutched tightly in his mighty fist. The bottle itself was nearly empty, the clear glass showing the depletion through consumption. "Sister dear," Russia said with a bright smile, his aura of venom growing with each second as her stumbled closer to Belarus, "we need to talk."

For the first time she could ever remember, Belarus felt nervous. Her heart for once beating faster out of terror rather than affection for her brother. She slowly stood and approached Russia, his crumbling waltz meeting her halfway on their collective approach. "What is it dear brother?" Belarus asked innocently but found herself nose to tip with Ivan's crimson pipe, "You know what sister." Belarus gulped as Russia took another swig of his vodka, his stance betrayed by not even a wince, "sisters and brothers should not be together." Belarus began to talk but Russia's vicious aura silenced her immediately, his cheerful smile and soft chant of 'kol' enough to silence her. "Every time I see you," Russia chuckled, "I feel so depressed. Older sister has left and all that is here is you, my darling sister who does not understand that I do not even want her around."

Belarus felt a deep stab in her heart, her brothers smiling face masking the evil of his words. She almost couldn't believe it to be true...no, it couldn't be true. Belarus shook her head, "brother! Don't speak like that; we are destined to be together!" Russia chuckled again, once more taking a deep drink from his vodka before talking again, "All will be one with Russia sister, except you." With those words spoken Ivan took a sharp turn, beginning to walk away from the stunned and silent Belarus. Without warning Natalia's hands acted without her mind, her fingers grabbing hold of Ivan's flowing scarf and holding tight, "please, don't do this brother." With a single swift movement Belarus was pushed away, her balance unstable and sending her to the ground in a heap. Belarus quickly sat up but was stunned into immobility as Russia raised the pipe high above his head, "I don't think I can love a sister who refuses to listen to me."

"That's not very nice."

A new voice sounded causing Russia to turn, his vision taking in a newcomer to the conversation, Alfred F. Jones. The proud America stood with his arms across his chest and a grin on his lips, his glasses glinting with the slightest hint of glare from the lights of the room, "you shouldn't go destroying countries for not good reason Ivan." Russia's aura of venom increased tenfold, his slow steps approaching America as he spoke, "then what should I do Alfred?" America simply smiled brightly, laughter echoing from his throat as he spoke, "go out and have some fun! You go take some time to yourself and get the hell outta here alright?"

Despite his laughter and smile Ivan knew Alfred meant business, the proud and pompous hero just about as good as his word when it came to battle. Ivan simply smiled back to America, nodding as he walked past the brash individual, "I think that's a good idea! I shall head out then; we should have vodka some time." Alfred grinned brightly, Ivan's hidden threat obvious as he decided to make one of his own, "no problem! We'll do some shots of Kentucky Bourbon; see what kind of tolerance you have for my kind of poison!" Russia left with a grin, his harsh whispering voice chanting 'kol' constantly.

Alfred quickly turned to Natalia, his smile still bright but concern present in his eyes, "are you alright?" Despite all of the actions, all of the events that had happened in a short span of time, Belarus had enough of her own sense to turn away from America with an air of distain about her, "I am fine. You shouldn't intrude on other people's conversation, you could get hurt." Belarus gave America a slight glance out of the corner of her eye, watching as he shook his head, "I can't do that, I'm the hero after all!" Suddenly America stood straight up, a bright grin on his face as he gave a sudden clap, "I got it, let's go out and grab something to eat!" Belarus sharply turned back to America, her face tingeing slightly red as she stuttered, "W-what?" America nodded with a beaming smile, "I've been starving since the meeting began and your stomach has been growling on and off since Ivan came in!"

Belarus crossed her arms, turning her face away from the American with a huff, "I don't need your pity Alfred." Before she could react America had slung his arm across her shoulders, his voice softer but still at an incredible volume as he said, "oh come on, I promise to pay for everything! The hero has to look out for everyone no matter what the consequences and my hero instinct is tell me to get you something to eat!" Belarus was shocked into silence; no one had ever voluntarily gotten this close to her since she was able to remember. Without another word America grabbed for Belarus' hand, swiftly grasping the appendage and pulling her out of the room with a firm yet gentle strength.

"A-Alfred release me this instant!" Natalia stuttered, her attempt at a threatening hiss being derailed by her embarrassment at being so freely touched. "Oh come on Natalia!" Alfred spoke enthusiastically, his long gait pulling the reluctant woman without any choice, "I bet you've never had a hamburger in your life and that's a crime I can't overlook!" Natalia seethed deeply, her bright red face scrunching up into a horrific glare as she reached down to her secret pocket for one of her knives, "I am warning you Alfred!" Before Natalia could register movement Alfred had reached back and grabbed her only free hand, his own extra palm slipping into hers as he spun on a dime to face her, "Please? I promise it'll be good, so just trust me!"

Natalia had a hard time turning away from Alfred's puppy dog eyes, his baleful stare seemed so horribly childish for a grown man. With a short 'humph' of dissent Natalia turned away from Alfred but didn't make a move to leave, her decision made to follow the idiot and at the least use him for a free meal. Seeing no further resistance from the fair country Alfred gave a whoop of joy, something that nearly made Natalia change her mind on the spot. However, the sheer happiness in Alfred's voice reassured her as he spoke, "Awesome! Thanks a lot Natalia; I promise you won't regret it!" With that Alfred turned and started walking once more, his pace still fast but slower than it had been when they first started out. For her part Natalia simply followed behind, attempting to ignore the fact that Alfred had yet to release her hand from his strong grasp.

It wasn't long before Alfred had brought Natalia to a small restaurant; a location not too far from the nation's conference hall which housed several different kinds of delicacies from all over the world. The reason for such a diverse menu was its location alone, being so close to the nation's conference hall it only made sense to specialize in several different kinds of food. Natalia and Alfred were seated rather quickly, Alfred grinning happily while Natalia refused to meet his gaze. Instead the icy woman stared out the window, looking to the clouded sky with detached focus. On the inside she was thinking of her brother, Russia and his aura of violence. This had to be the worst she had ever seen him...in anything really. She had only seen him angrier when he had been fighting with Alfred; a day hadn't gone by when he didn't whisper 'kol' in his sleep like a curse.

Suddenly Natalia was interrupted in her thoughts by a hand waving in her face, "Natalia, earth to Natalia." With a swift hand Natalia slapped the hand away with a scowl, "What do you want?" Alfred chuckled and handed her a menu, "this is about what you want, pick something." Natalia gracefully accepted the menu and scanned it over, quickly finding that one of her favorite dishes was on the menu. Seeing nothing else that appeared appetizing she announced, "The borscht." Alfred nodded with a smile, "I thought so, I guess it was a good idea to order it then huh?" Belarus leveled a glare at Alfred, "You ordered without consulting me?" Alfred only grinned, a slight nod being his reply as Natalia thrust the menu back into his hands, "then what was the point of asking me you idiot." Alfred's smile slipped for a slight second before he laughed and brightened his already luminescent grin, "If I didn't then you wouldn't be talking to me now would you?"

Natalia scoffed at Alfred and was about to turn away but Alfred hastily put his hand on her own, effectively stopping her with an energetic plea, "Come on, I never talk to you and I'm curious about you, is that so wrong? Besides, what have you got to lose talking to me?" "My sanity," Natalia said with a frown, pulling her hand away and crossing her arms solemnly. "You live with Russia," Alfred said with a confused tone, "how does that not make you insane?"

Alfred barely saw Natalia's movement as she threw two knives on either side of his head, the perfectly aimed blades missing him by just a hair as she glowered deeply at him, "Never insult my brother." Instead of the fear Natalia expected Alfred merely chuckled, reaching back and pulling out the knives before handing them back to her, "Okay, no more jokes about Ivan. But still, why do you live with him anyway?" Natalia accepted her weapons from Alfred as she replied in a strict monotone, "I love my brother. He has only done kindness towards me and ever since I was young he has taken care of me."

"Is that all?" Alfred asked with a curiously cocked head, interest in his tone and shining in his eyes. Natalia's glare deepened, "Our parents have long ago abandoned us and I was abducted when I was just a child for many years. Brother saved me and cared for myself and our sister. He is the only person on this planet who has cared for me in any way so yes that is all. I love my brother because he is strong, caring, and he watches out for me." Alfred nodded softly, accepting the answer in silence.

He looked like he was going to reply but his silence was bought with the scent of food, his meal of a hamburger and fries claiming his mouth into simply drooling and licking his lips. Natalia stared at the undisciplined America, his table manners severely lacking as the food was set down before the both of them. As daintily as she enjoyed the meal of her soup Alfred was terrifyingly devouring his with gusto. He was finished seconds into the meal, a pleased smile on his face as he slurped his soda and casually munched on his fries.

There was relative silence at this point, Natalia calmly eating while Alfred watched her, slowly sipping his drink and every so often biting into a French fry. Despite this Natalia felt on edge, her eyebrow developing a noticeable tick as Alfred continued to stare. It eventually got so bad that Natalia's hand began to shake from irritation, her grip on her spoon tightening to the point of warping the metal. With a swift movement Natalia pointed the spoon at Alfred menacingly, her glare assuring America that any tool in her grip could be a vicious weapon, "What is it Alfred? Why do you keep staring at me?" Alfred smiled, his innocent grin showing his pearly whites, "I'm waiting for you to finish so we can talk some more." Natalia blinked in confusion, wasn't he the one who was used to talking with a mouth so full of food it was impossible to understand him? "Besides," Alfred chuckled, "it's nice to look at a pretty lady like yourself."

Without warning the spoon in Natalia's hand snapped; the metal cracking in half like a dry branch. This one act caused Alfred to jump, his eyes shooting from Natalia's hand to her face, his soft blue eyes examining her expression very carefully. The moment Natalia's bright blushing glare beat down on him Alfred suddenly felt very sorry for his compliment, he had meant nothing by it but apparently he had said or done something very, very wrong. Alfred was about to apologize profusely but instead was quieted by Natalia's soft whisper, "so this is what you're after." Alfred's eyes opened in shock as Natalia's hands flew to her dress, retrieving four knives for each deadly hand, "you are trying to lure me away from my brother aren't you. You are nothing but a filthy womanizer like Francis."

Alfred quickly put his hands up to guard his face, his voice quickly shouting out, "No, no, no, no, no! That's not what I meant! I swear!" Natalia seemed to pause for a second, this momentary lapse giving Alfred time to explain, "I just wanted to give you a compliment I promise! I just wanted to see you smile or something! I've never really gotten to know you or any of the other smaller countries so I just wanted to know more about you and I thought you might loosen up if I gave you a compliment!"

There was a stone cold silence between them, Alfred still guarding his body from any attack and just waiting for Natalia to launch her myriad of knives into his arms. However, the only sound he heard was the sheathing of her knives, Natalia setting down once again as she plucked the spoon from his own utensil arraignment, "you are either very brave or very stupid Alfred." Alfred felt a smile coming on until Natalia finished her thought, "I choose to believe the latter." Alfred sighed with a roll of his eyes; at least he hadn't been killed.

The meal continued with sparse conversation, Alfred attempting to begin some sort of lengthy conversation while Natalia would clip it short. She would give quick and concise answers, acute responses to questions that would usually take hours for other people to explain. Yet, despite the constant negative vibe she continued to exude, Alfred kept trying, asking questions and sharing his own interesting stories in an attempt to pull something from Natalia. In the end as Natalia let her spoon settle into her empty bowl, Alfred had learned little to nothing. Natalia was still a mystery but, he had been able to understand some things about her and what made her tick.

When the waitress came over with the bill Alfred grabbed it quickly, easily providing the fund and handing it back to the server with a very healthy tip. Both nations stood up from their seats and Alfred gave Natalia a bright smile, his voice quick and in high spirits, "ah that was tasty! What do you think Natalia?" Natalia nodded just barely, her eyes refusing to look at the brash America, "It was adequate." Alfred smirked, "Well then, would you mind doing this again some time?" Natalia stopped, Alfred halting with her as she glared from the corner of her eye, "remember what I said Alfred." Alfred quickly threw his hands up into the air, "No, no! I just want to learn about you, that's all!"

After a moment Natalia seemed to accept the answer, nodding softly before continuing their path. Before long the two countries had to split ways, Natalia's hotel being in a different direction than Alfred's. Alfred gave Natalia another one of his brilliant grins, "whelp this looks like the end of the road Natalia!" Natalia nodded solemnly as Alfred continued, "There's another meeting next week with all of the nations so...would you mind joining me for something to eat afterwards? Same deal as this time I promise, I just want to learn." Natalia just stared at Alfred, her eyes seeming to pierce his body and look one thousand miles away. It frightened Alfred slightly before Natalia nodded, "You are very persistent...I will think about it. Goodnight Alfred." Alfred's smile only gained strength and enthusiasm as he called out, "Alright! Goodnight Natalia!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**Roar of Time**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natalia had long ago lost track of how many times Alfred had treated her to a lunch, each time it would be almost the exact same as the first. Alfred would order his hamburger and Natalia would get a bowl of borscht. Alfred would always hungrily devour his hamburger and she would take her time, Alfred watching her with a calm smile on his face. When she would near the end he would ask her questions, tell some of his own stories, and generally be kind and curious. She would always respond with short answers, never asking him any questions, all while being reserved and cold.

Alfred would never give up, asking until Natalia had finished her meal and he had cleared his own plate. He would always pay, tipping healthily for the good meal, and he would always walk with her as long as he possibly could. When they reached the point in which their paths would split he would always ask for another lunch with her and she would always give him a non committal "I will think about it." Alfred would always wish her an enthusiastic 'goodnight' while she would give him a calm reply of the same.

However, some things never stay the same forever.

"Hey Natalia," Alfred said with a smile, his omnipresent effervescence present in almost every action he did, "are you ready for some lunch?" The meeting of nations had ended not too long ago yet they were the only two who remained in the conference room. Natalia had made it a special point to make sure Alfred never asked her such a question around any country, especially her brother. She could only guess what kind of damage could be caused if anyone found out she was accepting any sort of friendship from the stupidly happy Alfred. Natalia seemed startled by Alfred's question, her glassy eyed glaze being broken by his innocent question. She looked up to him momentarily before turning away once again, standing up gracefully and nodding her head in response to Alfred's question. Alfred responded in his most predictable manner, grinning even brighter, "Awesome, let's go!"

As Alfred led the way Natalia followed silently, her gaze either staring at the ground or off to the side of Alfred. Even when Alfred would prattle on and on about the day's events she would only nod in false understanding, to be honest she wasn't hearing a single word he was saying. Rather, Natalia had been having more of a personal crisis as of late. Recently she had been unable to meet Alfred's gaze, those bright blue eyes of his causing her throat to choke up and heat come to her face. She almost couldn't stand being around him, she felt so nervous for some reason and her heart picked up pace just a bit whenever he said her name. It was an odd feeling, something she wasn't used to. It was something so foreign that at first she thought she was being poisoned by America, she even watched his movements on a stalkers level that she had used on Russia not long ago. Though she found no evidence of foul play she still felt cautious around Alfred, trying her best to watch his every movement to see if he had attempted to drug her with something.

"Natalia...hello, Natalia?" It would only when Alfred's voice broke her concentration did she realize that he had been trying to get her attention for the past ten minutes, his hand waving in front of her eyes as he looked to her in concern. Natalia batted away Alfred's hand, glaring at him from the corner of her gaze, "What is it Alfred?" Alfred blinked at the hostility but he still smiled as he said, "We've been standing outside for a while and you didn't respond when I talked to you." Natalia felt an embarrassed flush come across her face as she turned further away from Alfred, "I was in my thoughts, something you wouldn't understand Alfred." Alfred only chuckled at Natalia's jab, his personality already used to such insults at this point that he took them in good humor, "fair enough. Shall we go in?"

As they had done every week Alfred waited for Natalia to sit before he plopped into his own chair, his voice calm and polite as he informed the waitress they would be having the usual. As the waitress walked away Natalia alternated her gaze from her lap to the window, answering Alfred with clipped responses or complete silence. Before long the pair received their food, Alfred's massive hamburger and fries almost dwarfing her meager bowl of borscht. However, before Natalia could even pick up her spoon to begin her meal Alfred placed his hand on hers, stopping her movement and causing her gaze to be turned upon him directly. His smile was reserved and there was a curious gleam in his eye as he spoke, "we've always ordered the same thing every time we come here haven't we?" Natalia brushed Alfred's hand away and looked away to his side, "yes, we have."

Natalia glanced back at Alfred only to find something obstructing her vision, something large that she instantly recognized. It was Alfred's hamburger, the meat patty and bun being held up nearly to her face as he grinned like an idiot, "Wanna try a bite?" Natalia blinked in surprise, as long as she had known Alfred had never shared his hamburger with anyone else. Sure, he had tried to force others to try it on their own but ne had never directly offered someone a bite from his actual hamburger. Natalia scoffed and turned her head away from the greasy concoction, pushing it away from her with the tip of her finger, "I wouldn't dare eat something so disgusting."

Alfred partially took the hamburger back, his face hurt and nearing the puppy dog stage as he whined, "But we've never tried each other's food! And you've never had a hamburger either!" Natalia glared at Alfred from the corner of her eye, an action that had become a common occurrence between them, "No Alfred." It was then that Alfred turned on the full puppy dog eyes, a pout spread full across his face as he spoke, "please? Just one bite, I promise just one bite and I promise I won't bug you about it again!"

Seeing Alfred's face Natalia felt her resistance wane quickly, the ridiculous America staring at her in such a way that it was only mere seconds before she responded, "Fine...but just one bite." Instantly Alfred's mood brightened a brilliant smile across his lips, "awesome! Can I have a taste of your borscht too? I mean, if you're willing to try my hamburger then it's only fair right?" Natalia sighed in resignation, nodding as Alfred swiftly switched their meals. Before she knew it Natalia was looking down at Alfred's typical meal, a monolithic greasy hamburger accompanied by a sea of salty French fries and a sugar laden soda on the side. Likewise Alfred was now face to face with a simple bowl of crimson soup, the large dollop of sour cream floating atop a mass of beets and cabbage. Almost simultaneously the two countries looked at their meals with a sigh, Natalia knowing her stomach would instantly rebel from such a protein rich meal while Alfred had only once heard of the word vegetarian before now.

Natalia reached down for her fork and knife in an attempt to disassemble the monstrosity but Alfred instantly called her out, "hey! You can't use a fork and knife on a hamburger! You have to pick it up and take a bite out of it." Natalia looked directly at Alfred, "that is disgusting." Alfred grinned, "But its fun!" Natalia shook her head in defeat and tried to grab the hamburger, he delicate fingers just barely able to make it around the mass of meat and bread. Similarly Alfred picked up his own spoon, his fingers clumsy and not used to the instrument, and took a scoop of the soup along with a small bit of the hot sour cream. Alfred and Natalia exchanged one last glance before both took a respective bite from their food.

Natalia's first bite was met with a mixture of flavors and tastes, the soft bun giving way to a thick and juicy meat patty. Natalia's first impression was more than correct; she could almost feel the grease on her tongue when it first encountered the bun. However, while the food itself was most definitely not her kind of meal, she could stand it...mostly. Alfred's first sip was interesting, his usual tasteless self finding a very interesting combination in the beet, tomato, cabbage, and sour cream. The spices were new, the taste itself was unique...it wasn't his cup of coffee but he could learn to like it.

As Alfred looked up to Natalia he could see her cheeks slightly puffed up, the bun and meat being chewed with a delicacy and newness that he hadn't seen before. He chuckled quietly at the sight which caused Natalia to look up at him, a blush rapidly forming on her cheeks as she swallowed quickly and turned away, "what is it Alfred?" Alfred's own face began to warm but he didn't notice, his smile too bright and his mood too happy to pay attention to it, "Nothing, so what do you think?"

Natalia set the hamburger down on the plate and pushed it towards Alfred, "greasy and disgusting...but I can understand why you like it." Alfred smiled and switched the plates once again, leaving his spoon inside the bowl as he placed it in front of Natalia, "yours tastes weird and looks scary but with a little meat I could see it being really good." Natalia nodded, quiet as she picked up the spoon from the bowl and took a small sip. Alfred, getting no response, took a bite from his burger in the same place Natalia had not too long ago...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**Roar of Time**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time passed like sand through Natalia's fingers; before she knew it August had come, the hot summer month bearing her birth to the world. However, this month was not destined to be joyous. Just as it had come every year Natalia ignored the date as if it were any other day. While Alfred had celebrated his birthday last month in a shower of fireworks and fanfare Natalia always chose to remain at home, secluded and plotting how to get her brother to marry her. Speaking of Alfred she doubted there would be a way for her to forget his special day as he had made it a point to invite her to his grand birth celebration. She remembered her reluctance to go but in the end the persistent man convinced her, dragging her to a celebration that bordered on ridiculous by nature.

She remembered that there were only a few nations other than herself. Alfred's small family of Canada and Britain were among the few large countries to attend. All of them seemed a bit annoyed by Alfred's energy but they were accepting of his unique celebration. However, this meant nothing to the rest of the guests which numbed in the several hundreds. Apparently Alfred was enough of a hit with the people of his country that many if not all wanted to celebrate with him.

There were so many fireworks, so many hamburgers, so much of everything...it nearly overwhelmed Natalia. At times she thought that night had turned into the morning and somehow the fireworks had continued throughout the night into the next dawn. Yet, seeing the bright glow of Alfred's childish amusement and joy she couldn't help soften her glare, nearly smile, and give him a nod in recognition of this birth.

Once again Natalia had to shake herself from her thoughts, she had been daydreaming an unhealthy amount as of late. Perhaps she wasn't getting enough sleep at night. In any case, Natalia's attention and sense was regained just moments before the meeting came to an end. With a few closing statements, the meeting was concluded and everyone rose from their seat in relief. As the other countries got up to talk and leave, Natalia cast a glance toward Alfred, expecting America to be asleep in his chair or bouncing at the chance to ask her to lunch.

However, what she saw caused her gaze to narrow into the sharpest glare she had ever produced while her fingers were itching to grip her largest knife and hurl it with deadly accuracy. Instead of sitting or sleeping, Alfred was on his feet, talking quite animatedly with the Hungarian nation, Elizabeth Hedervary.

The beautiful Elizabeth was chatting with Alfred complete with wild laughter and wide smiles...it made Natalia's blood boil and her mind seethe. Her eyebrow began to develop a sharp tick and Russia's patented aura of venom engulfed her, the poisonous air surrounding her nearly choking any country that got within three feet of her. It came to a point that even Ivan noticed his sister's rage, his brow spotting with sweat and his heart beating from fear. Ivan, along with the rest of the nations near Natalia, quickly made their escape and prayed for the poor soul who had gained her ire.

In a short time Elizabeth and Alfred parted ways, Elizabeth with an amused smile while Alfred was licking his lips in joyous anticipation. After Hungary had left and Alfred was sure they were alone, he took the chance to turn around and see if Natalia was willing to have lunch with him. What he found was something he was certain he would never have had to see again ever since the end of the cold war. Natalia was giving him a glare on a level comparable to Ivan, her own aura of floating acid even more overpowering than the original Russian's vile curse. Alfred felt himself break out in a cold sweat and for the first time in his life, his knees were shaking to the point that they almost buckled. Alfred shook his head and steeled himself, unwilling to break his stance as he approached the obviously angry Belarus. Alfred grinned as much as he could, the force of the smile almost straining as he spoke, "H-Hey Natalia! Y-You up for s-some lunch?"

Suddenly Natalia clapped her hands down onto the table, sharply rising from her seat before turning away from Alfred in a single swift action, "I am not hungry today Alfred. You may go on without me." Alfred was stunned for a moment before attempting another smile, his old voice returning but with a weakness to it he couldn't control, "Oh please Natalia! Maybe we could try some-" "No!" Natalia shouted, as much a surprise to Alfred as it was to her.

She quickly pressed her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as she wondered where such a radical outburst had come from. Calming herself Natalia released her mouth and spoke with deadly serious intent, "No, I do not want to have lunch with you Alfred." Casting a harsh glance over her shoulder Natalia spoke in a clipped monotone, "Perhaps you should ask Taiwan or Hungary, you did say you wanted to get to know the other countries but you have yet to ask any of them out for a meal. This might be your chance." Alfred couldn't find his voice to respond; instead all he could do was watch as Natalia turned on her heal and walked out, letting the door slam behind her...

As time passed Natalia found Alfred's persistent pursuit of her company more annoying than ever, he had even begun to call on the phone and request setting up a lunch despite the lack of a convenient meeting place such as a nations gathering or something similar. Each time she would coldly refuse, disconnecting and walking away from the phone to ignore its nonstop rings for the next twenty minutes. On the days that the nations would meet Natalia would attempt to escape along with all of the other nations, grabbing hold of her brother and clinging closely to him as he left the room. When they left Alfred and the conference hall she would relax her hold on Ivan but not let go, sticking just as close to him as she had in the prime of her stalking.

However, this clinging was missing the loving urgency and the single minded obsession she had reveled in not too long ago. I was so apparent that when it first happened even Ivan noticed...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_Spacial Rend_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is something wrong sister," Ivan asked with a soft smile, his childish demeanor completely hiding the monstrous cruelty he had deep within. It had been a rather boring day at the meeting of nations so Natalia found it easy to drift into her thoughts. Because of this ease to daydream, Natalia had been focusing on Alfred and her situation with the annoying man. Her thoughts generally centered on all of Alfred's faults, his rudeness, his inability to understand a situation, his persistence, his enthusiastic attitude, his willingness to help. Almost every train of thought ended with Natalia listing Alfred's good points, a practice which caused her to mentally scream and call for her blades to fly across the room and bisect him.

Even now, during conversation with her beloved brother, Natalia's thoughts were on Alfred and his actions. Natalia quickly shook her head, holding tighter to Ivan and casting a small glance over her shoulder, "No brother, it's nothing. Will you please marry me brother?" Ivan looked down in surprise at Natalia, confusion in his gaze as he spoke, "Natalia, something is definitely wrong." "Huh?" Natalia turned up to her brother's gaze. He gave her a firm nod of his head, "Da, you've never ASKED me to marry you." Ivan's smile returned as he asked, "So what is the matter dear sister?" Natalia was silent for quite some time, unwilling to respond to Ivan's question, before she quietly muttered, "a man. A vile and utterly idiotic man."

Inside of his head Ivan was on the verge of celebrating, perhaps he had finally shaken his sister from his shoulder, "a man?" Natalia nodded, "he has been infuriating and...I do not know what to think. He will not leave me alone and when I believe I know what he is thinking, he changes instantly." Natalia seemed to shiver, a very odd reaction from the mistress of the snow, "I am completely lost as what to do brother." It was at this point that Ivan was in a full on celebration mode in his head, his joy shooting up tenfold as he thought of a life free of his obsessed sister, "you can never understand a man Natalia." Natalia looked up to him as he continued, "we are very simple but to the point that a woman cannot understand, Ad?" Natalia looked confused but Ivan simply smiled and patted her head, "just give it time sister dear, I am sure everything will work out." As Natalia accepted that answer with a soft sigh and a nod Ivan smiled, for once a true response to joy, and inside of his mind he planned a lively night of vodka and celebration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**Roar of Time**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natalia exploded with a mighty sneeze; she knew something wasn't right when she woke up in the morning. Natalia knew that something had not been right lately, she had been feeling sleepier than usual and her ability to concentrate was even more compromised than her ability to be conscious. This morning however had solidified her suspicions and she woke up with a fever and sneezing, the sure signs of a cold ravaging her system. For a moment Natalia was frightened, it wasn't easy for a country to suffer a cold so that could only mean that the land which she represented was beginning to weaken. However, Natalia nodded to herself in the solemn knowledge that she had faced hard times before and despite the difficulties facing her homeland she would be fine.

With another great sneeze she realized that no matter what her strength, this was not an ordeal that she would enjoy until it was over.

Glancing to the calendar she winced, of course one of the worst misfortunes that she could think of was on that day. August twenty fifth, her birthday, and she was wrapped up in a blanket suffering from a cold. Sighing to herself Natalia decided it wasn't all that bad, due to Ivan's evacuation of the home in the morning she was all alone and able to communicate with her thoughts alone. She was also far away from Alfred so she could figure what had been happening for herself. Despite the advice from her brother she still readily avoided Alfred, refusing his company for lunch and otherwise just removing the enthusiastic man from her thoughts and personal space.

While her thoughts might have been a different matter entirely the physical aspect proved to be easier than expected. After the first encounter with Natalia's angry side Alfred seemed more reserved and calm around Natalia. He didn't pressure her to join him for lunch and he seemed to develop a respect for her personal space. However, Natalia had very odd and mixed feelings about the development. For some reason she felt as if it was a hollow victory she was enjoying, a straw man of a peace that kept her calm but not happy. She sighed and attempted to push the thoughts out of her mind once again, she had to focus on getting better after all...

A sudden knock on the door jarred her from her thoughts. With a glance toward the door she wondered who would bother coming around today.

Natalia slowly shuffled to the door and drew it open revealing a very energetic and painfully cheerful Alfred F. Jones, "Happy Birthday!" Natalia's eyes snapped open in surprise, "A-Alfred?" Alfred nodded happily, holding up two massive armfuls of bags which no normal human should have been able to carry, "I heard you were sick so I decided to bring your present to you!" Natalia's eye instantly began to twitch, her hand already closing the door as she scowled, "go away Alfred." However, before she could completely close the door Alfred had placed his foot inside, firmly wedging the door open as he said, "Wait, wait, wait! Hear me out!"

Natalia was tempted to pick one of her knives and stab it into his foot but a rapid fire set of sneezes caused her to loosen her grip on the door and back away, huddling into herself and attempting to stop the chain at its source. Just as her sneezes slowed she found a concerned Alfred in her face, one armful of bags on the floor next to her while his hand was pressed to her forehead, "wow, that's quite a scorcher you've got there." Natalia turned away sharply and glared from the corner of her eye, "you should leave; brother will be back very soon." Alfred smiled brightly, "I walked past Ivan on my way here. He is visiting Gilbert and Ludwig today; they should be in conference talks until tomorrow morning." He giggled quietly, an excited gleam to his eyes as he spoke, "that gives me plenty of time to give you your present."

This time Natalia glared full force at Alfred, "You filthy..." Alfred instantly read Natalia's thoughts and held up his hands in surrender, "Wait, wait! I mean...well...I wanted to..." Alfred mumbled something as he looked away from Natalia, his one free arm coming up to rub his blushing cheeks in an embarrassed manner. It was then that Natalia saw what Alfred had been carrying this entire time. In Alfred's arms was bag after bag of food, raw ingredients to be exact. He had the supplies for something that seemed very familiar to Natalia...beets, potatoes, onion, cabbage...the pieces were all there but in her feverish haze she couldn't connect them all.

"Cooking?" Natalia asked in a confused manner, realization dawning on her as she recognized the purpose for the material in the paper bags. For the first time since she met him Alfred broke out in a deep red blush, an embarrassed smile weakly crawling across his face as he responded, "Heh, yeah. I wanted to surprise you for your birthday and since you're a bit sick right now I thought I'd come over and cook you something tasty!" Alfred wrapped up his explanation with a bashful scratch on the back of his head, a bright smile on his lips while his cheeks continued their rosy red blush.

Natalia was more or less stunned into silence; Alfred had gone as far buying ingredients for cooking as well as venturing across the ocean for her birthday. Before she could register and protect herself Natalia felt herself blush brightly and her lips begin to turn upward in the slightest of smile. However, at the last moment she caught herself and she turned sharply away from Alfred, instead giving a muted mutter in response, "th-thank you Alfred." Alfred could only smile brighter and lean back with a hearty laugh, "I'm the hero, and my word wouldn't be worth anything if I didn't help out! Now you go head off to bed and I'll make you something delicious!"

Natalia wouldn't have protested even if she could have. For some reason the world had begun to take on a bit of a sluggish spin and she was starting to feel very warm. It was incredible how fast Alfred moved when he set Natalia up in her large bed, easing her under the covers and making sure she was comfortable before he rushed to the spacious kitchen.

Seconds after leaving her room Natalia could hear the clanging of metal and the shouts of surprise, apparently Alfred had discovered the precariously stacked pots and pans cabinet. Allowing herself a small smirk of karmic revenge Natalia finally realized how ill she truly felt. Feeling the world begin to darken around her Natalia closed her royal purple eyes and drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_~Spacial Rend_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then next moment that Natalia could comprehend the world around her Alfred was by her side once again, his eyes worried as he wrung a small towel between his hands. Slowly Natalia lolled her head to the side, looking at Alfred through a half lidded gaze, "Alfred?" Natalia had expected a wild response, Alfred screaming his head off in worry and asking if she was alright. Instead Alfred smiled gently and placed the towel on her forehead, the ice cold cloth soothing her hot skin, "Don't worry, I'm here Natalia."

Natalia sighed in relief; she never thought a cold towel could give her such a deep relief, "What happened?" Alfred smiled softly, "I came to check on you and you were almost setting the bed on fire." Natalia sighed and tried to turn away from Alfred, her attempt at a scalding tone falling flat, "You don't need to worry about me, I am fine without your help." Alfred didn't say a word, he simply watched over the feverish woman with a calm kindness that he always presented.

Without a word Alfred turned away from Natalia, gently reaching behind his body for something that Natalia couldn't quite see. When Alfred returned Natalia could see Alfred had seemingly pulled a bowl from nowhere, a large container of soup resting on his lap and steaming with gentle heat by the looks of it. The broth was of a fine crimson color, the pale stone bowl contrasting with the sharp red color of the creation. Floating alone in the center of the mixture was a small white ball of what Natalia guessed to be sour cream. For a moment her mind could barely form a word for what the concoction was, it seemed oh so familiar but strange to her current mind. However, it only took her a few moments to recognize the broth and speak with confused interest, "Borscht?"

Alfred chuckled nervously, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his head as he spoke, "y-yeah...I know it's not much but Happy Birthday!" The soup appeared to be simple and flavorful, the scent rising from the spices and herbs more than enough to make her mouth water. Even though her nose was plugged from her cold even she could tell it would be delicious. Natalia looked from the sweet soup to Alfred's slightly blushing face, "Where did you learn to make it?" Alfred's flush grew by the second as he looked away, "since I only know how to cook what I like, I asked Hungary to give me some tips...you know, since she cooks for Austria and everything." A sudden realization snapped into Natalia's head, understanding for Alfred and Elizabeth's conversation forming the more she thought about steaming broth in front of her.

Before she could contemplate longer she found herself eye to eye with a spoonful of the scarlet soup, the alluring smell wafting into her nose as Alfred grinned happily, "come on, give it a try!" Natalia slowly turned her head away the best she could, glaring with weak anger from the edge of her vision, "I will not be treated like a baby." Without warning Alfred pulled out his ultimate move, his puppy dog gaze cutting Natalia's resistance to nothing but a bare nub. She sneered and turned back to him slowly, "fine, but only this once Alfred." Alfred grinned happily and was about to give her a spoonful before she hoarsely hissed, "If you tell anyone I will kill you." Alfred simple chuckled and fed Natalia a small spoonful of the home made meal.

Natalia could tell that he had cooked it in the wrong order, the potatoes weren't done and the onions were burnt, he hadn't left the pot on long enough to create a deep flavor, and somehow he had managed to extract a greasy feeling from an otherwise greaseless dish. However, for some reason she couldn't stop eating. She couldn't cease enjoying the dish and savoring every bite. It was as if every hearty swallow brought her back a little more of her old strength, her energy slowly returning as Alfred gave her spoonful after spoonful of the handmade soup. Before long the soup was gone and Alfred set the bowl down beside him, gently checking Natalia's temperature with the back of his hand.

As Alfred moistened Natalia's towel in a basin of cool water by his side Natalia began to think again, her thoughts wandering over what Alfred had done for her, what he had purposelessly gave her while asking for nothing in return. Never once had he asked for anything beyond a smile, a story, something that otherwise amounted to basic contact. Why? The question began to plague Natalia's mind, that single word burrowing into her skull like a drill. Even as Alfred placed the cool towel back on her forehead and asked on her condition, she could only think of; why did he do this, what was his reasoning? Did he have an agenda against her brother? Was he trying to prove he was better than her and the other nations by taking care of her? Why? Why? WHY? WHY?

As sharply as she could Natalia turned towards Alfred, sitting up on the bed with a jerk and throwing the cool towel off her fevered temples, "Why!" Alfred seemed a bit shocked but he responded calmly, "why what?" Natalia glared as deeply as she could, her ill body making her normally deadly stare a lesser spark of malice, "why do you keep caring for me Alfred? I never asked for your help about anything!" Alfred didn't respond, instead he picked up the cool cloth and dipped it into the basin of water by Natalia's bed. He methodically wrung out the cloth and attempted to put it on Natalia's head before she slapped it away, her speed surprising considering her particular state. "Tell me Alfred," Natalia growled, her face flush from fever as she spoke, "why do you keep bothering me? What did I do that you keep begging for my attention!"

"You exist," Alfred said simply, reaching down for the dropped cloth, "I hate seeing anyone in pain and I like to help, even if I sometimes screw it up big time. You always look like you hurt and you're sick right now so just put two and two together." For once Alfred almost didn't seem like Alfred; instead his voice had taken on a fatigue and exhaustion that Natalia had never seen before. For once, Natalia could see behind his 'heroic' smile as Alfred looked into her eyes, "I just want everyone to be happy and you looked like you could use it the most."

Since Natalia met Alfred she had known him to never frown in the face of adversity, even when his country crashed into a sickness in which they were unsure to recover from, Alfred rarely missed a meeting and he always smiled. He never let anyone see beyond the power and strength he always tried to prove he had.

Now she could see the expression behind his smile, the pain shadowed by the heroes own grin. She could see that on Alfred's surface he was cheerful, he was happy; he was strong for everyone to see. However, she could also see inside him, beyond that skin of power and heroic deeds. She could see how hard he pushed himself to try to help, how thin he spread the spectacular power he held, how much he tried to do right while accidentally doing even more wrong. She knew that each of their personalities were simply reflections of their homeland's people but she had rarely seen someone so torn as Alfred.

Without realizing it Natalia cupped Alfred's cheek, her smooth pale hand curving against his strong jaw with delicate grace. He leapt at the contact, surprise evident in his sky blue eyes as a gasp escaped his mouth. He turned his gaze to Natalia, looking into her own violet stare. For a moment the two shared a look, something beyond the level of words, as they stared at one another. Natalia could see everything about Alfred, and Alfred could see everything about Natalia. Without controlling it both of them leaned ever closer, their lips finding each other even amidst the growing dark...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**Roar of Time **_Spacial Rend_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was once again another week at the world nations meeting, all the countries of the world gathering together and deciding what would be best for the planet for the next week. Just as it had been without any major wars, the meeting was boring and rather trivial. Some minor conflicts over land here, some treaty confusion over here; it had been a rather mundane day. It was easy to see how Alfred F. Jones of America felt, his head leaning back and his feet propped up on the table a sure sign of his unconscious state. The same could almost be said for Natalia Arlovskaya, her rigid posture holding her straight and true but every so often there was a twitch in her form, a slight slump in her back that would give away her bored status. For the both of them they couldn't wait for the meeting to be over, not even for a second.

Just as the final statement was made and the meeting was adjourned it was as if life was automatically restored to Alfred, his legs swinging from the table and clomping onto the floor with a loud stomp. Eyes immediately shot to America as he yawned loudly, his arms stretching high above his head and his tongue lolling out as if he were some type of wild dog. At the end of his wide mouthed yawn his bright blue eyes opened, dancing with mirth as he scanned the room in anticipation. His entire body seemed to scream with energy as other nations passed him by with an annoyed glance.

In contrast to this was Natalia, her posture relaxing a bit in relief as she organized some paperwork on a policy she had proposed to the group. Her aura of ice kept many other nations far away, avoiding being within striking distance of her flying daggers. However, there was one nation that continued to ignore her warnings and it was on that day the Lithuania, Toris Lorinaitis, decided it was all or nothing for him. He casually strode over to Natalia with confidence, he had felt today was going to be his lucky day and he never doubted his luck until now. "Hey Natalia," Toris said with a brilliant smile, his confident air dissipating very little despite the aura of anger Natalia sent his way, "how are you today?"

"Fine," Natalia responded, her clipped and sharp response enough to scare lesser countries away in seconds. However, Toris continued with another question, "I was wondering Natalia, would you like to go out to lunch with me some time?" "No," Natalia said with another sharp edge, her fingers crisply folding her paperwork and sliding it into a hidden pocket on her dress, "I have no need to be bothered by you." Toris, his ignorance of Natalia's caustic nature at an all time high, continued with persistence, "Oh it will be fun, I promise Natalia. You can choose wherever we go and I promise I will pay for everything." Natalia slowly began to develop a tick in the corner of her eye and her fingers slid around the handle of another hidden blade.

"Hey Natalia!" sounded a wild shout, a boisterous voice cutting through their conversation with the finesse of a butchers cleaver. In a flash Alfred was beside Natalia, his commanding presence seeming to dwarf Toris' more reserved and overall polite nature. "Ready for lunch?" Alfred asked with a brilliant smile, the tips of his cheeks flushing just a bit. Natalia looked over to Alfred, his smile proud and powerful, and she felt a small rush of heat rise to her own face, "Yes, I am Alfred." "Awesome!" Alfred shouted enthusiastically, his hand reaching down and gently cupping Natalia's own delicate appendage with a firm gentleness, "Sorry but we gotta go Toris, they're expecting us at the restaurant!" Without another word the two nations left in a blur, Alfred with his gigantic grin pulling Natalia behind him, her lips pulled upward in a shy and reserved smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well how did you enjoy this short one piece? I thought the idea was cute when I first wrote it so I figured that it might appeal to more people than just myself. I hope you enjoyed and please, have a wonderful day!


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